HISTORY

Motor Torpedo Boats (MTB's), were
developed to be able to mount a quick response to threats from any seagoing
vessel either warship or submarine.

MTB 102 was designed (under the
designation Vosper Private Venture Boat) by Commander Peter Du Cane CBE, Managing
Director of Vosper Ltd., in 1936. She was completed and launched in 1937, and
ran trials on the Solent.

When she was bought by the Admiralty
and brought into service she was called MTB 102 (the 100 prefix denoting a prototype
vessel, making her the first MTB of the modern era.) She was crewed by two officers
and eight men, and during 1939 and 1940 she saw active service mainly in the
English Channel.

During 'Operation Dynamo', the evacuation
of the British Expeditionary Force and Allies from Dunkirk, she crossed the
channel eight times. When the Destroyer HMS Keith was disabled by a bomb from
a Stuka, Rear Admiral Wake-Walker transferred to MTB 102, using her as his flagship
for the last two nights of the operation directing the incoming and outgoing
vessels at Dunkirk from the bridge. As she carried no Rear Admirals flag, one
was created with an Admiralty dishcloth and some red paint, allowing her to
fly the appropriate flag. MTB 102 was the third to last vessel to leave Dunkirk,
ending her crucial and distinguished service during the evacuation under the
command of Lt. Christopher Dreyer.

In 1943, she was transferred to
615 Water Transport Co. RASC, and renamed 'Vimy'.

In 1944 she carried Winston Churchill
and General Eisenhower on their review of the ships assembled on the south coast
for the D-Day landings, thus seeing the desperate evacuation of troops from
Europe and their determined return.

At the end of the war, like most
other small naval craft, she was sold off and converted to a private motor cruiser,
fitted with two Perkins P.6 Diesels and used around the North Sea.

After 20 years she was resold, and
during her conversion to a houseboat she was found by a Norfolk Scout Group
in 1973. She was in need of a lot of attention, but had been saved from an ignominious
fate.

Kelso Films agreed to refurbish
102 as a WWII MTB for their 1976 film 'The Eagle Has Landed' starring Michael
Caine, after filming, she was returned as a fully operational sea going vessel.
She was also used in a Dutch film 'Soldier of Orange' (also known as 'Survival
Run') which starred Rutger Hauer. 102 was a participant in Her Majesty The Queen's
Silver Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames, and in 1979, 1984 and 1986 she represented
'Yesterdays Navy' at Portsmouth Navy Days.

The return to Dunkirk, for the Association
of Dunkirk Little Ships anniversary crossings, has been made every five years
since 1985.

H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh, honoured
the vessel with an inspection on the launch of our 50th Anniversary Appeal.

Never far from television cameras,
she has appeared in the Channel 4 series Classic Ships and ITVs Vintage and
Veteran series and BBCs War Walks.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Length 68', beam 14'9", draft
3'9". Built of double diagonal Honduras Mahogany on Canadian Rock Elm,
and powered by three Isotta Fraschini 57 litre petrol engines each of 1100hp.
giving a speed of 48 knots light and 43 knots loaded and armed, this made her
the fastest wartime British naval vessel in service.

Originally a single torpedo was
fired through the stem, through a hatch in the bow. A second torpedo was loaded
from rails on the after deck, the location of the torpedo tube is evident from
the long bulge on the fore deck. It was discovered during trials that better
accuracy and reliability could be achieved with two side tubes, and the original
torpedo arrangement was changed to two 21" tubes. These were angled out
at 10° from the centreline, with the side decks being scalloped. She was
also involved in the trials for depth-charges, machine guns and the Swiss made
Oerlikon 20mm cannon.

The original engines were replaced
with two perkins P6 diesels while in private ownership. The Italian engines
became difficult to maintain because of the lack of spares resulting from Italys'
alliance with Germany during the war and most MTBs were powered by Packard engines
made in America.

Maintenance and upkeep is largely
carried out on a voluntary basis, but in 1983 it became necessary for major
work to be carried out on the hull and decks, and £20,000 was spent to
ensure that 102 remained a sound and seaworthy boat. It then became apparent
that the old engines were going to be the next problem, but in 1985 Perkins
Engines Ltd. came to the rescue with the generous provision of two turbo-charged
V8 engines.

However, maintenance upkeep and
preservation of this unique vessel remains expensive, and in 1990 after rough
weather during the return to Dunkirk, further extensive work was carried out
to reinforce the hull and decks, at a cost of £50,000. In 1995, enroute
to the V.J. Day celebrations, the port engine seized and the journey had to
be abondoned. The filming for Chanel 4s' 'Classic Ships' was conducted on just
one engine, and then in 1996 Cummins Marine supplied new 'Diamond Series' diesel
engines to, appropriately enough, take 102 into her Diamond Anniversary year.
In 2002 two specially tuned high output Cummins L10 600h.p. engines have been
fitted.

She is one of only a few WWII Royal
Navy vessels still afloat, and is thought to be the only Royal Navy vessel that
took part in the Dunkirk evacuation which has survived.

The MTB 102 Trust has now been set
up to obtain major sponsorship and finance to keep this unique vessel operating
for as long as possible, and your support is vital for this to succeed.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT 102 DURING HER WINTER REFIT?

Every year 102 undergoes her winter refit in Suffolk to get her ready for her
appearances during the coming year. Between January and April she is normally
to be found inside her large heated workshop at Oulton Broad having her annual
check up. This is an ideal opportunuity for visitors to see her out of the water
without the crowds normally found at her public appearances.

We are always happy to welcome interested visitors but, please, telephone first
to check availability.

Please see below to find our location.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT

Richard Basey,

MTB 102 Trust,

3 Sea Lake Road,

Oulton Broad,

Lowestoft, Suffolk,

NR32 3LQ.

Telephone: +44
(0) 1502 574444

TO BECOME A "FRIEND OF MTB 102"

Friends of MTB 102 receive a twice yearly newsletter and have
access to the boat at convenient times.

LATEST NEWS

June 2012: MTB102 starts the
Queen's Jubilee Pageant

MTB102 was the first vessel to move in the Pageant
and as she got under way
the radio message from Mark Towens, PLA Deputy Harbour Master and Senior PLA
Officer afloat, was
"MTB102 is under way. The pageant has started".

Thus began the sixth time that MTB102 had taken part in an event with the Monarch.

It was a very proud moment for the MTB102 Trust as we led the Dunkirk Little
Ships' Flotilla down the Thames.

The event was covered by many TV broadcasters.
If you want to see some of the coverage,